Helena Goes to Hollywood: A Helena Morris Mystery (13 page)

An hour later Ricky emerged. “I’m sorry, there’s nothing much we can do right now. It’s a waiting game until they contact us. We’ll put extra patrols on the neighborhood for a few days.”

Sonia and Lupe looked drained. As if on cue, the pizza arrived and I contemplated my next move as we ate in stunned silence.

T
o my immense luck Jordan called in the four main actors for a fitting of costumes for episode two the next morning. Guess they did work Saturdays at times. I delivered Sonia there, made sure all the normal security was on hand and gave Jordan a can of mace that would bring down a pit bull.

Driving to Danny’s, I hated myself for suspecting him. Taking Fluffy hurt Sonia but the money was minimal. There had been no ransom communications which meant it was anyone’s guess who did it and why. I hoped they kept their word and didn’t hurt Fluffy. Sonia would gladly pay.

I parked in the driveway behind his Hummer; no one seemed to notice me so I walked around the place. No sign of dog toys, leashes, fur, dog food, or doggie leftovers yet to be scooped. If Fluffy was here he had her inside. My ex had called late last night and Todd had no info on any second address in Danny’s name.

Hoping he wasn’t behind it, I walked around the front and heard a click. Not the click of a gun; how sad that I could tell the difference. I ignored the photographer, not wanting a picture of my face to prove I’d snooped on anyone’s property.

I rang the doorbell and Danny answered, shirtless and smelling of alcohol.

“What do you want now?” he asked.

“I liked you better on carbs than booze. Can I come in?”

“Do what you want. You always do.” He walked back in the house.

I entered and closed the door behind me so the paparazzi couldn’t see anymore; at least no one could claim I’d entered illegally. On the counter I saw a half empty gallon bottle of vodka and six empty cans of some energy drink. Not a good combo.

“What does that mean?
What I always do
?”

“You always get your way. You plant ideas and judge people.” He pointed at me and wiggled his fingers like a magician before he stumbled into a stool and finally sat to keep from falling.

I folded my arms and studied him as he popped open another can of Red Bull. “What do you think I planted?”

“I’m not drunk,” he said.

Sure he wasn’t. “Okay, didn’t ask that. Focus, Danny. What did I plant?”

“You made Sonia hate me. She refused to take me back because of you.” He drank the entire can and threw it over his shoulder in the direction of the kitchen sink. It fell short and spun out on the yellow tile.

“Did she say that?”

I hadn’t been in the state when he’d attempted the reunion. I’d never encouraged her either way. He could blame me all he wanted.

“I know it. You are full of opinions.” He delivered the line as though I was accused of murder.

“No argument there, but I never told Sonia to kick you out or divorce you. She’s always made up her own mind on things. She was born that way, I didn’t want her to move out to Hollywood but she did.” I shrugged.

“True, but she listens to you when she’s upset and scared.”

“She told me you cheated and that you two tried counseling, but it didn’t work. I never dished out any advice, but I’ll bet I know one thing that keeps her from taking you back.” I walked into his bedroom and opened a drawer. A pink bra sat stuffed next to his boxers.

“Get out of my underwear,” he growled from the kitchen.

I returned, swinging the bra on my index finger. “This wouldn’t fit you. You really think she’ll take you back when you’ve got another girl living with you?”

His face cringed and for a second I thought he’d puke. Then his expression hardened. He tossed the bottle of vodka, thankfully plastic, and then he cried like an Irish baby.

“I can’t take it! I can’t be alone, Hel. I loved her so much and I screwed up. We were so young when we got married. Why couldn’t she just stay on the soap? We were happy there!” Danny pounded the counter.

“This won’t help at all. If you want her back you need to act like a man, not like some romantic teenager.” I kept my voice even but firm. Playing to his hopes might get me more information.

“That’s what she fell in love with. We went out and drank wine, walked on the beach, and had sex in the sand.”

“My baby sister! Please, no details.” I picked up the bottle of vodka.

He belched. “Sorry. I wanted her back but she’s made it clear that won’t happen.”

“So dump the bimbo and sober up. Move on and figure out what to do with your life. Binging on carbs and booze isn’t helping.” I walked to the counter and dumped the vodka down the drain.

“She’s not a bimbo! Faith is nice and a good actress,” he nodded.

“I’m sure she’s nice, she was there when you needed someone. It’s a rebound thing and you’re wallowing in it. Clinging to it is lying to her and yourself.”

I didn’t know how to talk with Danny like this but I had to try. It felt a bit hypocritical since I was divorced, but I wasn’t saying to stay or to get out. That sort of advice always came back to bite you in the ass.

“I got out of my marriage because Todd’s career ran everything. I loved him and life can’t always be equal, but without compromise it’d never last. Sonia would be thrilled if you succeeded. You need to get your life together and get your career on track.”

“Without a job? Without Sonia? How?” he asked.

“Sonia says soaps are fading out of popularity, so you go out and find something else. Be happy. I don’t know much about marriage but it’s not supposed to be a competition. You need to be her biggest fan, not a jealous jerk.”

“She called me that?” he asked.

“I did.” I went into the fridge and grabbed some orange juice and poured it into a plastic glass. “Sober up and answer one question for me.”

“Until you drop in
again
to intimidate me? I asked my agent and lawyer and no one hired anyone to stalk Sonia. They’d never do that.” Danny’s frustration level amped up.

“Unless you asked them to,” I finished.

He threw the glass of OJ at the sliding door. “They didn’t.”

I moved in on him to show no fear.

“Good, now tell me if you did something else. Maybe you got drunk one afternoon and did something stupid?” I asked.

Danny threw his hands in the air and then grabbed the carton of OJ from me and it followed the glass. “I cheated, okay? I admit it.”

I showed no reaction to his fits. Having a rage-aholic father left me immune to male tantrums. “We’ve already established that. Did you take Fluffy?”

He frowned. “The dog? No, I can’t have pets here and Sonia will probably get custody of the dog too. It’s her baby. Why?”

“Fluffy was taken.” Danny couldn’t afford to kill off more brain cells.

“Taken?” He stood but wobbled.

“Someone snatched the poodle from the backyard while men were working on the security system. You don’t know anything about it?” I looked into his blurry eyes.

“No, she didn’t call me. She’ll be safer with a security system. I should’ve had one put in but she loved having the windows open.” He shook his head. “You think I took the dog?”

“I have to ask.”

“You do, do you?” His anger built up again.

“Me or the police. You want to be a tabloid suspect?”

“I didn’t take my own dog because I wouldn’t hurt Sonia like that. I’ve hurt her enough for one lifetime.” Danny opened a cabinet and grabbed a bottle.

I moved closer and got a look at the label. Aspirin. That was a relief as long as he didn’t swallow the whole bottle. “Good, I’m glad to hear it. Anyone you know might want to hurt Sonia? Who’d know what taking the dog would do to her?”

He fumbled with the bottle. “No. Hell, Hel! Everyone knew she loved that dog. Fluffy was tame. Anyone could pick her up. We made sure she was gentle because Sonia wanted kids.”

Now I’d started to feel sorry for them both. I grabbed the bottle from him and opened it. Shaking out two pills, I handed them over and closed up the bottle.

“You need to grow up, Danny—you’re not teenagers anymore. High school drama and theatrics are good TV but that’s not how you solve real problems of any kind. I think we both agree that Sonia’s safety is the most important thing.”

“I need to sleep this off but I’ll help look for Fluffy tomorrow.” He swallowed the pills with some water.

I put my hands on his back and steered him to the bedroom. “Off to bed, we’ve already got a ransom note on the dog. Someone has it safe somewhere.”

“Ransom?” he asked. “I’ve got some money.”

“It’s okay, Danny, don’t worry about it. Let me handle the Fluffy situation and you work on yourself. Okay?” This guy had too many distractions to be staking out Sonia’s place. He was overindulging and self-pitying, not stalking.

He nodded and climbed into bed. “Lock the door on your way out?”

“Sure, call me if you think of anything suspicious that happened around Sonia. I feel like this person has been watching her for a while. You might have a clue if you think hard.” I pulled the drapes closed.

“I’ll think about it when I can think again.” He pulled the flat sheet over his head.

Closing the bedroom door, I quietly checked out the rest of the house. No odor of dog, no sign of one anywhere. Everything was simple, like he’d just moved in.

Danny didn’t take the dog; his demeanor and all the evidence told me that. Still, something felt wrong here. The other woman in the house didn’t thrill me but Danny wasn’t good alone. Part of me was shocked Todd hadn’t remarried. I stopped the thought process. All this divorce stuff had me comparing and no two relationships were alike.

Exiting the house, I locked the doorknob and pulled the door closed behind me. I couldn’t resist and peeked into Danny’s Hummer. Trying a door, I found it was unlocked. Dumb guy, he’d gotten spoiled in the fancier neighborhoods where nothing bad happened. I checked under the seats and the storage areas. I flipped through his glove box and armrest storage compartment. A bottle of vodka? Not good. I pocketed it and left the Hummer.

Climbing back into my car, I was out of ideas and afraid of what that might mean for Fluffy and Sonia. I headed for the studio feeling helpless. Maybe the only way I could win was to be there twenty-four seven and protect her. For now that was my plan. They got Fluffy and that was too close to my sister for my comfort.

M
onday morning came around again, my second Monday in California. Over the weekend we’d received a picture of Fluffy alive and well, but no instructions as to where to drop the money. Ricky was looking into it but Sonia was hopeful it was all a prank, while I had no idea what to think.

There I sat watching the Hollywood version of a sniper attack. They’d brought in an actual sniper so it didn’t require my attention, which was good because I had no clue. I wandered around to the food table and nibbled on cookies. Chocolate with macadamia nuts, my favorite!

My cell vibrated and I dug it out of my jeans pocket while walking back down the hall so I didn’t interrupt rehearsal. I looked at the screen and had to admit a little shock—it was Danny. A drunk dial? A lead?

I hit the button and answered, “Hello.”

The line was dead. No static. No nothing. Not even a hang up sound. I dialed his cell number and got voicemail.

I tried again.

Nothing.

A chill ran down my back.

Jordan walked up. “Want to get lunch today? My kicks are getting so good I might eat a burger.”

He demonstrated a high kick which was good if he didn’t do it with a smoldering model’s pout. But I was pretty sure Jordan got dates at the gym so it made sense.

“Great work and I’d love to, but first I have to go check on Danny. He tried to call me and it didn’t go through. Keep an eye on Sonia for me?” I rushed through the question and started walking.

“Sure thing. She was resting all morning in her dressing room since she’s not in the sniper thing but they’ll keep her busy with this new scene.” Jordan headed for the set.

Danny’s cell phone battery could’ve gone dead. That might be all it was. Maybe he realized his bottle in the Hummer was gone? He hadn’t called me once since I’d been in California. I’d written my number down for him on my first visit and this was the first time he’d used it. There was a flutter of panic.

I sped to his house and saw the Hummer parked as normal in his driveway. He could’ve called from anywhere, but I walked up to the door and rang the bell. After a few minutes with zero sounds coming from inside at all I pounded on the door.

Nothing.

Jogging around the house, I saw all the drapes were closed. I went around back and the sliding glass door was open. I looked in and froze.

Blood. A lot of it pooled around Danny’s body, which lay face down on the kitchen tile.

Grabbing my cell, I dialed Ricky.

“I’m at Danny’s—he called but the call dropped or something. No answer at the front door so I went around back and it was open. He’s dead.” I needed someone to know and get help here now. Taking a picture of the scene with my phone, I sent it to him. Then I began running video.

“What? Damn, I’m sending squads and an ambulance. I’m on my way.” Ricky trusted me but there were procedures. I had no authority.

I’d had nightmares about getting a call if something happened to Todd. Especially when he was on a big case, there was the fear that I’d have to identify his body. But Danny was right there surrounded by too much blood.

It was all over the kitchen floor; Danny just lay there face down and soaked in it. I slipped through the opening without touching anything.

That much blood made it impossible to see the point of paramedics. He was gone.

Danny was dead. The truth ate me up as it sank in.

To reassure myself I felt for a pulse on his neck. He lay there lifeless and by the way his thin shirt clung to him I could see the stab wounds in his back. Lungs punctured. Even a few stabs to his neck. The attack was savage, brutal, and fast.

The sirens outside made me stand and step back. “In here,” I shouted.